Four teens hurt in Hubbardston crash

An 18-year-old teen was critically injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash on Gardner Road (Route 68) near the Gardner line at 9 last night. Three acquaintances were injured.

The four teens were in a Ford F-250 pickup and headed south on Gardner Road when the driver tried to pass another vehicle, according to Police Chief Dennis G. Perron. The road is one lane in each direction with a broken white line permitting passing, but there were icy conditions at the time of the crash, the chief said.

The driver, Oscar Diaz, 18, of Templeton, apparently lost control of the truck, and it rolled over at least once, according to Chief Perron. The pickup went into the yard in front of 247 Gardner Road and hit a trash barrel and light pole before crashing into trees.

A passenger sitting behind the driver, Edward Burgess, 18, of Templeton, was trapped. Hubbardston firefighters used hydraulic tools to remove the truck's roof. Mr. Burgess was transported to Heywood Hospital in Gardner. He was then moved by ambulance to UMass Memorial Medical Center – University Campus in Worcester. Weather conditions had grounded the medical helicopter.

The driver and the other two passengers, Karyn Lawrence, 16, of Hubbardston, and Joshua Besse, 18, of Templeton, were taken to Heywood Hospital with injuries that did not appear life-threatening, the chief said.

State police assisted local police in accident reconstruction. The crash is still under investigation, according to Chief Perron.